About Gari

Who We Are

GARI Governance Consulting is a governance, leadership, and learning organization committed to strengthening individuals, organizations, and communities through practical, relevant, and technology-enabled learning.

We work at the intersection of governance, leadership, skills development, mindset, code of conduct, self-awareness, technology, and community transformation, helping people and Organizations build the knowledge, capabilities, and structures required to respond effectively to a changing world.

Our approach connects learning to practical application, enabling individuals and organizations to translate knowledge into responsible decisions, stronger performance, and sustainable impact.

Our Values

Honesty

We act with truthfulness, openness, and integrity.

Self-Awareness

We encourage individuals and organizations to understand themselves,
their responsibilities, and their impact on others.

Commitment 

We remain dedicated to our purpose, our people, and the outcomes we seek to achieve.

Dependability 

We build trust through consistency, accountability, and responsible action.

Authenticity

We encourage people to lead and engage with honesty, purpose, and integrity.

Growth Mindset

We embrace continuous learning, adaptability, and the willingness to improve.

Compassion

We value empathy, respect, and consideration for others.

Ubuntu

We believe in the spirit of collectivism, shared responsibility, and the strength of community.

Positivity

We approach challenges with hope, constructive thinking, and a commitment to finding possibilities.

Empowering Your Success Through Personalised Solutions

We understand the individuality of each business, with its distinctive opportunities and challenges. Our approach is centered on gaining a profound understanding of your specific needs, objectives, and obstacles. By leveraging meticulous research, data analysis, and deep industry insights, we craft customised strategies that precisely align with your business goals.

Guiding Principles for Lasting Partnerships

Integrity

We conduct ourselves with the highest level of integrity, honesty, and transparency in all interactions with clients, partners, and team members.

Excellence

We strive for excellence in every project we undertake, aiming to exceed client expectations and deliver solutions that make a meaningful impact.

Innovation

We embrace innovation and continuously seek creative approaches to solve complex challenges, staying ahead in the dynamic business landscape.

Collaboration

We believe in the power of collaboration, both within our team and with our clients. By fostering open communication and teamwork, we achieve greater outcomes together.

Our Team

Meet the GARI Board of Directors

Dr Willard Bepete

Founder & Executive Director

Lucy Bepete

Executive Director

Dr Julia Ugorji

Director

Elizabeth Kamau

Chair of the Board

Dr Willard Bepete — Founder & Executive Director

As a seasoned specialist orthopaedic surgeon with 28+ years of handling a wide range of complex orthopaedic cases, he brings to the GARI board a solid sense of community responsibility, tenacity, humility, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, compassion, integrity, authenticity, conscientiousness, continuous learning, care & diligence, as well as patient, client and employee safety and advocacy.

With a long-standing background in entrepreneurship and board experience spanning 25+ years, guided by some of the best global business mentors and human behaviour and value experts, and as a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), he brings visionary leadership.

“Knowledge is power,” as the saying goes. The GARI LMS (Learner Management System) provides an excellent opportunity for him and the team to offer relevant courses in the growth of individuals, communities and businesses, and entire value chains, through good governance, gratitude, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authentic growth mindsets moulded for shared prosperity and responsibility — creating thriving communities with equal opportunities, where women and youth are multi-skilled, have good values, and live abundantly in a world that is peaceful and safe.

The goal is the achievement of happy, fulfilling lives and a choice of wisdom over despair in all circumstances.

Lucy Bepete — Executive Director

With 28+ years of combined experience across the medical field and business sector, Lucy brings a rare blend of operational depth, commercial insight, and strategic clarity to the organisation. Her academic foundation — a BCom (Bachelor of Commerce), an MBL (Master of Business Leadership), a professional nursing background, and status as a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors — strengthens her ability to contribute meaningfully at director level within GARI’s LMS-focused environment.

She applies strong capabilities in business strategy, governance, and financial literacy to support sustainable growth, ethical decision-making, and long-term organisational resilience. Her leadership approach is rooted in integrity, cultural awareness, and a commitment to excellence.

Driven by a passion for community empowerment, she champions strategic foresight, critical insight, and a mindset shaped by relevant knowledge and ethical leadership. Her work focuses on delivering world-class governance, leadership development, and skills training that help individuals and organisations become sustainable, inclusive, and thriving.

This combination of experience, academic strength, and purpose-led leadership positions her as a key contributor to GARI’s mission and long-term strategic success.

Dr. Julia U. Ugorji, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, FAAN — Director

Dr. Julia Ugorji is an accomplished nurse leader, educator, healthcare executive, and internationally recognised advocate for health equity, leadership development, and community empowerment. Throughout her distinguished career, she has advanced nursing excellence, transformed healthcare education, and championed initiatives that create opportunities for underserved communities.

Dr. Ugorji has held several prominent leadership positions, including Associate Dean and Chief Nurse Administrator at Metropolitan State University, Dean of Nursing at North Hennepin Community College, and Associate Dean at Rasmussen University. In these roles, she provided visionary leadership in nursing education, workforce development, and academic innovation.

As a community leader, Dr. Ugorji serves as an External Advisor to the Minnesota Governor’s Office on Public Engagement, where she contributes to initiatives that promote community engagement/empowerment, inclusivity, and public well-being. Her exceptional service has earned numerous honors, including the United States President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service, the International Leadership Award, and induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the highest distinctions in the nursing profession.

As a Director at GARI Consultants, Dr. Ugorji provides strategic governance and advocates for innovative education and workforce development initiatives. She strongly supports the GARI Learning Management System (LMS), recognising its capacity to deliver relevant education and practical skills that promote good governance, emotional intelligence, gratitude, self-awareness, and authentic leadership. Through education, mentorship, advocacy, and service, Dr. Ugorji continues to inspire transformational change and help build healthier, more equitable, resilient, and prosperous communities globally.

Elizabeth Kamau — Chair of the Board

Elizabeth Kamau is an innovation, technology, governance, and agribusiness leader with over 15 years of experience in strategic leadership, ICT, project management, digital transformation, policy development, risk management, and corporate governance across research institutions, diplomatic missions, and international organizations. She holds a BSc in Computer Technology and an MBA in Strategic Management and is a PRINCE2

Certified Project Management Practitioner and ITIL

Practitioner.

Born and raised in rural Central Kenya, Elizabeth saw firsthand how farming sustained families but often struggled to create lasting prosperity. This experience shaped her conviction that agriculture can be a powerful pathway to economic transformation when combined with innovation, technology, strong governance, and access to markets. She is the Co-Founder of Shebah Farms, an agribusiness focused on sustainable production, value addition, and commercialization of high-value horticultural and African botanical wellness products, creating opportunities for women, youth, and rural communities.

As Chair of the GARI Board, Elizabeth is driven by a deep desire to contribute to building institutions and leaders capable of transforming Africa from within. She believes Africa’s greatest resource is its people—and that sustainable transformation requires leaders who combine competence with character, purpose, integrity, and a willingness to serve.

Through GARI, she is committed to helping develop principled directors, executives, entrepreneurs, women, youth, and community leaders equipped to build resilient institutions, create sustainable enterprises, influence policy and practice, and generate meaningful economic and social impact.

Elizabeth’s vision is for GARI to become a leading African platform for leadership, governance, innovation, and entrepreneurship—leaving a legacy of empowered people with renewed mindsets, deeper self-awareness, a clear sense of purpose, and the courage and capability to lead with integrity, create sustainable value, and transform their organizations and communities for generations to come.